Whose is The Child?

Rajan and his wife, Usha, had a bitter quarrel. Their friends advised them to live separately. Following this advice, Usha moved to her father’s house, taking their infant daughter with her despite Rajan’s protests.

Desperate to keep his daughter, Rajan approached the landlord for help. The landlord summoned Usha and stated, “Look here, my daughter! When you came to your husband’s house, you brought no daughter. It was your husband who gave you the daughter. Hence, the daughter should be with him.”

Though the daughter adored her mother, she was obliged to live with her father. As she grew older, she received some money as a gift from her grandfather. With this, she bought a bull and began to pasture it where the landlord’s cows grazed.

One day, one of the landlord’s cows gave birth to a calf. The little girl took the calf home. When the landlord heard of this, he summoned her for an explanation. The girl confidently replied, “Sir, I have only followed the principle you laid down. The bull that fathered the calf is mine. Naturally, the calf belongs to me!”

The landlord realized his error but was delighted with the girl’s cleverness. Meanwhile, Rajan and Usha reconciled, and their family was happy once again.